Balanced wrench



DecQ 15, 1953 w. REYNOLDS BALANCED WRENCH Filed July 24, 1950 WAJIIII V/b INVENTOR Zeus-201v 7% 25mm 0.5.

BY TTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALANCED WRENCH Theron W. Reynolds, Wellsville, N Y. Application July 24, 1950, Serial N 0. 175,593 4 Claims. (01. 81-121) The present invention relates to improvements in a wrench and has for an object t .e provision of a device of this kind which affords to the user a greater amount of flexibility and latitude than is possible with similar wrenches oi" the prior art.

Another object of the present invention to provide'an improved wrench comprising a shank, a counterbalance portion being provided on eacr end of said shank, one of said portions nding to one side of said shank, ie other or said portions extending to the opposite side of the shank with reference to said one portion to pro vide a balanced wrench, and at least one of said portions having an aperture therein for receiving the head of a pipe plug or the at least said apertured portion being oval sh ed to vide major and minor axes, aperture substantially square shaped and having one o of opposed walls disposed at suis-stantially ri ht angles to the major axis of the oval of the aper tured portion and the other pair of opposed walls disposed substantially parallel to the major of the oval of the apertured portion, said aper ture lying between the outer end of said aper-- tured portion and its minor axis.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench comprising a shank having substantially straight sides throughout its entire length, a counterbalance portion on each end of said shank, the major part of one of said portions extending to one side of the longitudinal axis of the shank, the major part of the other of said portions extending to the opposite side of the longitudinal axis of the shank to provide a balanced wrench, and at least one of said portions having an aperture therein for receiving the head of a pipe plug or the like, said opening being disposed entirely beyond a prolongation of that side of the shank towards which the major part of the apertured portion extends.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench which perfectly balanced so that it can be used for long periods of time without fatigue to the user thereofv In one of its broadest aspects the present invention contemplates the provision of a wrench comprising a shank substantially straight throughout its entire length, a head mounted on one end of said shank and extending to one side thereof at an angle of the order of 22 degrees, and a second head mounted on the opposite end of said shank and extending to the opposite side thereof at an angle of the order of 22 degrees, each of said heads having a square shaped open ing therein.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the improved wrench with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line -3 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a plan View of a square divided into sixteen 22 degree angles and showing in phantorn lines the eight positions assumed by the wrench in making the eight point openings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it indicates the shank or handle of the wrench which may be made of steel or any other suitable material. The handle may be of any desired length and shape, but in the present illustration it is shown to be round in cross section, as can be seen from Figure 3 of the drawing.

The opposite ends of the shank it are tapered downwardly and outwardly as indicated t I i and I2. The tapered portion ll merges a relatively flat head IS. The head 53 is suhstam tially oval shaped and the major it thereof is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank IQ, for example at an angle of the order of 22 degrees so that a portion of the head It is disposed to one side of the shank The head 63 is provided with a substantially square shaped opening it entirely disposed with in the portion of the head which extends to one side of the shank it and which is located adjacent to its outer free end. The outer free end or? the head is is curved or rounded. as indicaed at E5 and the sides of the head are curved as at Ba and 53b. The center of the square opening I coincides with the center of the curve on the extreme end of the head is on an angle of the order of 22 degrees or on whatever angle the major axis Id of the head i3 is disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shank The opposite walls is of the opening are substantially parallel with the major of t sad so that the walls I? are disposed at same angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank iii as the major axis is is disposed to the longitudinal axis of the shank, which in the present illustration is 22 degrees. The opposite walls is of the opening is are disposed at substantially right angles to the major axis M- of the head l3.

The tapered portion it: of the into a relatively flat head is which is of substantially the same oval shape as the head E3. The major axis 25 of the head it is disposed at substantially the same angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank it which the drawings is illustrated to be an angle of the order of 22 /2 degrees so that a portion of the head it extends laterally from the shank As is shown more closely in Figure 3 of shank it merges the drawings, the head l9 extends from the shank id to the opposite side thereof to that to which the head i% extends and to substantially the same amount in order to provide a well balanced. wrench and to make possible the eight point opening mentioned above.

The head iii has a substantially square shaped opening 25 therein which is located adjacent to its outer free end and entirely disposed within the portion of the head which extends to the side of the shank The outer free end of the head I!) is curved or rounded, as indicated at 22 and the sides of the are curved as at idea and 919. The center of the square opening 2! coincides with the center of the curve 22 on the extreme end of the head is) on an angle of the order of 22 degrees or on whatever angle the maior axis oi the head it is disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shank iii. The opposite walls oi the opening 2! are substantially parallel with the major axis of the head 19 so that the walls 23 are disposed at the same angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank It as the major axis is disposed to the longitudinal axis of the shank which, in the present illustration, is 22 degrees. The opposite walls 24 of the opening 723 are disposed at substantially right angles to the major axis 25 of the head iii.

In the drawings, the opening i5 is illustrated as being larger than the opening is so that the wrench will fit diiierent size pipe plugs, it is to be understood that the openings may be of the same size or of any desired different relative sizes. The wrench itself can he made in assorted sizes so that a particular wrench may fit two different size plugs, one for each end and that the wrenches themselves can be made in assorted sizes so as to cover a wide range of openings.

In the use of the device, the opening in either head will be fitted over the head 25 of a pipe plug for example. It the pipe plug is situated in close quarters, the user of the improved wrench has available to him eight possible positions of the wrench in which the opening id or 2i can be fitted over the head of the pipe plug. These eight positions are clearly shown at a through 71. in phantom lines in Figure 4 of the drawings. For example, it the wrench cannot be applied to the head of the pipe plug in the position indicated at a on account of some adjacent obstruction interfering with the shank it of the wrench, the user will rotate the head as of the wrench through 186 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the shank it. The shank iii will then assume the position indicated at b so that the shank will be clear of the obstruction and the wrench can be manipulated to turn the pipe plug.

Figure 4 more clearly illustrates what is meant by the eight point opening described above. In this Figure A generally indicates a circle of see degrees divided into sixteen sectors 28 each of 22 degrees. Starting from any sector 25 on the circle A with the wrench, place the opening P5 or 2| on the head 25 of the pipe plug as at position a, then reverse the head of the wrench to the position b. This would move the head 25 substantially 45 degrees. If the same procedure is followed around the circle A it can readily be seen this gives an eight point opening. Such a structure imparts a'ratchet efiect to the improved square wrench.

The square openings i5 and 21 fit the square head 25 of the pipe plug and the grip of the wrench is positive so that there will not be any breaking out at any of the four corners of the opening H) or 2|. The curves it and 22 on the extreme ends of the heads l3 and i9 and the curved sides I3a, I32) and lSa, I92) of the heads l3 and I9, respectively, permit rotation of the wrench without encountering obstructions. These curved portions of the heads and the thinness of the heads permits the wrench to reach the most difiicult places to easily remove or replace various square headed ob 'ects. The oppositely disposed arrangement of the heads 13 and i9 imparts to the wrench a perfect balance so that it can be used for long periods of time without undue fatigue to the operator. The angular arrangement of each head with respect to the shank It will also provide a comfortable grip at each end of the wrench when the opposite head is engaging the object to be rotated. The improved wrench can also be used in tapping and retapping bolt holes and on pipe taps in various sizes and also for reaming in difficult places, as well as for other conventional uses of a wrench.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An improved wrench comprising a shank, a counterbalance portion being provided on each end of said shank, one of said portions extending to one side of said shank, the other of said portions extending to the opposite side of the shank with reference to said one portion to provide a balanced wrench, and at least one of said portions having an aperture therein for receiving the head of a pipe plug or the like, at least said apertured portion being oval shaped to provide major and minor axes, said aperture being substantially square shaped and having one pair of opposed. walls disposed at substantially right angles to the major axis of the oval of the apertured portion and. the other pair of opposed walls disposed substantially parallel to the major axis of the oval of the apertured portion, said aperture lying between the outer end of said apertured portion and its minor axis.

2. An improved wrench comprk' g a shank having substantially straight sides t .o'cghout its entire length, a counterbalance portion on each end of said shank, the major part of one or"; portions extending to one side of the longitu axis of the shank, the major part of the other of said portions extending to the opposite side or the longitudinal axis of the shank to provide a balanced wrench, and at least one of said portions having an aperture therein for receiving the head of a pipe plug or the like, said aperture being disposed entirely beyond a prolongation of that major part one of said portions having an aperture therein for receiving the at an angle of the order of twenty-two and one- 30 half degrees to the longitudinal axis of the shank to provide a balanced Wrench, and at least one of said portions having an aperture therein for resaid apertured portion being oval shaped to provide major and minor axes, and being integral With said shank and reduced in thickness and flat, said aperture being substantially square shaped and having one pair of opposed walls disposed at substantially right angles to the major axis of the oval of the apertured portion and having the other pair of opposed walls disposed substantially parallel to said major axis.

THERON W. REYNOLDS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 27,211 Pearson June 15, 1897 35,971 Doolittle July 22, 1862 510,981 Massey Dec. 19, 1893 873,437 Jeffrey Dec. 10, 1907 916,613 Scruggs Mar. 30, 1909 1,164,073 Cunningham Dec. 14, 1915 1,276,071 Ringling Aug. 20, 1918 1,341,178 Kaylor May 25, 1920 1,624,508 Reilly Apr. 12, 1927 1,626,906 Zilliox May 3, 1927 1,705,470 Chirpe Mar. 19, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,354 Great Britain Feb. 9, 1889 396,544 Germany June 3, 1924 

